Notes on Gender Division of Labor in Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Introduction

• Common belief: Men hunt, women gather.
• This idea is often taught in classrooms as a conventional truth.
• New research challenges this myth.

Recent Research and Articles

• Three significant articles that prompted a reevaluation:
  • "Female Hunters of the Early Americas" by Randall Haas et al. (2020)
  • "The Myth of Man the Hunter: Women's Contribution to the Hunt Across Ethnographic Context" by Abigail Anderson (2023)
  • "Busting the Male Hunter, Female Forager Myth Once and For All" (Big Think, 2023)

Historical Context of the Myth

• Influential works establishing the myth include:
  • "Man the Hunter" (1968) by Richard Borshay Lee
  • "Women the Gatherer" (1983) by Francis Dahlberg
  • "Hunting and Gathering: The Human Sexual Division of Foraging Labor" (2007) by Frank Marlow
• These works suggested a natural division of labor based on gender, positing men as primary hunters.

Critique of Earlier Theories

• Earlier theories were influenced by the patriarchal context of the mid-20th century.
• Scholars used current social views to interpret past behaviors, leading to biased conclusions.
• Claims that gender division of labor was natural and evolutionary were widespread.

Findings from Modern Research

Female Hunters of the Early Americas

• Conducted a meta-analysis of burial sites in the Americas.
• Examined 27 sexed individuals from 18 burial sites associated with hunting tools.
• Results: 40% of individuals found with big game hunting tools were female.
• Conclusion: Big game hunting was likely a gender-neutral activity among late Pleistocene and early Holocene populations.

The Myth of Man the Hunter

• Examined 63 foraging societies globally.
• Results: 79% of groups documented women's hunting participation.
  • 87% of societies reported women's hunting as intentional rather than opportunistic.
  • In societies where hunting was crucial, women participated 100% of the time.
• Conclusion: Women's contributions to hunting were significant and challenge the traditional division of labor narrative.

Implications and Suggested Changes

• The term "forager" is suggested to replace "hunter-gatherer" to better reflect the non-sexual division of labor.
• Acknowledging the diversity and flexibility of human subsistence cultures enhances understanding.
• The findings emphasize the need to reassess how we view both the past and present social organization.

Concluding Thoughts

• The narrative of men as dominant hunters and women as gatherers is an oversimplification.
• Acknowledging women's roles in hunting challenges existing inequalities and stereotypes.
• Understanding that the past does not justify current gender roles and societal structures is crucial.
• The research underscores a need to change language and frameworks in discussing human history.